VIII: A Lovely Night
Drake Paris was not the city I expected it to be. I didn’t think that any other place in the world could be as beautiful as New York City, but I was wrong. It was a lovely location. The buildings were just as tall and intricate as they were in New York, and the Eiffel Tower shone so brightly. I was brought to tears just by looking at it. “Alright everyone, tonight you are free to do whatever you want. Our mission starts tomorrow,” Dimitri announced. The large crowd of our allies dissipated, eventually just leaving me and the other three. “So Marc and Drake, how do you two feel being outside of NYC?” Xena asked lightheartedly. I opened my mouth to respond, but Marc interrupted me. “It feels great! We’re in Paris, France. The city of love.” I could hear Amber snicker. “Marc, just because we’re in Paris, doesn’t mean I’m going to fall in love with you,” she sneered. “C’mon, just give me a chance. Let me take you out on a date tonight. If you don’t like it, I’ll promise not to bother you ever again,” he challenged. “I bet twenty bucks that Amber gives in,” Xena teased. Amber shot Xena a look that could pierce diamonds. I chuckled. “Ok Marc, I accept. Let’s see if you can impress me,” Amber sighed. The two walked off towards the Eiffel Tower, leaving me and Xena alone. “Well Xena, what do you want to do tonight?” I asked. Xena pondered. “Let’s go somewhere nice and quiet.” I nodded in agreement. We walked through the city for a while, sightseeing various monuments and landmarks. We didn’t say much, but we enjoyed our time together. I didn’t expect it, but I was truly enjoying my time outside of the United States. I never knew that the world had so much to see before. Eventually, Xena and I found a pond near the edge of the city. It reflected the light from the moon and the stars. It was a perfect spot. “Let’s sit here,” Xena said. “As you wish,” I replied. The two of us sat together, looking at the stars. We tried to name constellations, but none of us knew anything about them. When we had enough of failing, we sat in silence for a while. Xena was the first to break it. “Drake, I just wanted to thank you, for everything,” Xena said. I was confused. “But, I haven’t done anything for you yet.” “No, you have. This is the first time in ten years that I’ve felt, like this.” “Like what?” “Like, I can have a friend that I can really trust. A friend that I can talk to about anything.” “But, aren’t you and Amber really close?” I asked “Well, yeah, but lately, I think something has been off with her, but I don’t know what it is. It’s probably nothing,” she sighed. I got the vibe that Xena really needed to let something off her chest, so I wanted to make that as easy for her as possible. “Xena, if there’s anything you need to tell me, I’ll try my best to be a good listener,” I said awkwardly. She paused for a while, and I was afraid that I had said the wrong thing. Luckily, I hadn’t. “You know this already. I really miss my friends. But there’s one of them in particular that I really miss,” she said quietly. “Who is it?” “Qasim Desmo, but we liked to call him Des. He was the first boyfriend I had that actually cared about me.” “Oh, I see.” I didn’t know how to feel. Usually when girls told me about their past relationships, they used it to insult me. But, she seemed sincere. “He wasn’t strong, but he was very intelligent,” she recalled. “He was a great leader, and a caring friend. Everyone loved to be around him.” I didn’t reply. “And the thing is, I see a lot of him in you for some reason,” she whispered. I looked at her, shocked. “But Xena, from what you’ve described so far, him and I are nothing alike. No offense.” “Personality-wise and physically, yeah, you’re very different. It’s just the vibe you two give. It’s very similar. I don’t know,” she said. I thought hard about what to say. I made sure not to ruin the moment. “It’s funny, because you remind me a lot of Violet.” She raised an eyebrow. “Well, let me explain. She was very kind-hearted, but she was also very assertive. And she made sure to protect anyone who was close to her. She was strong, but she could also be very gentle. I really loved that about her,” I said. “And, I really love that about you too.” Xena’s eyes lit up, but she didn’t reply. I wasn’t sure of what to say next, so I also remained silent. There was definitely something between us. I just couldn’t tell if it was a genuine friendship, or something more. We didn’t say anything else to each other for a while. We just laid down side by side, and stared at the sky. It was the relaxing night that I truly needed. Unfortunately, my peace was interrupted by the sound of racing footsteps. Assuming that it was an enemy, I quickly got on my feet and entered my fighting stance. I was surprised to see that it was Amber, with Marc in pursuit. “Ah shit, this can’t be good,” I lamented. “What’s wrong?” Xena asked. “Amber’s running away from Marc. He must’ve done something really stupid,” I replied. Amber arrived, and she immediately started complaining about Marc. “Drake, your idiot brother tried to kiss me multiple times. I’m done with him. You need to pump some sense into him,” she hissed. “I want to hear his side of the story before I do anything,” I said sternly. Soon after Marc replied, and he immediately refuted what she told us. “I didn’t try to kiss her. I knew she didn’t like me yet, so why would I try something so rash?” “Because you’re a dumbass,” she said harshly. “I’m sure there’s nothing but hot air inside that head of yours.” “Don’t talk about my brother that way Amber. He may be socially awkward at times, but he’s not stupid. You need to treat him with more respect,” I scolded. “Oh yeah? If he’s so smart, then why can’t he take a hint? I’ll never like him, and neither will any other girl,” Amber scoffed. I was livid, but before I could tell her off, Xena spoke first. “Amber, you’re being a dick. Marc has done nothing to deserve this. Seriously, lighten up!” Xena commanded. “He’s done nothing? He’s been flirting with me constantly ever since we met each other. It’s so annoying!” “Well I’m so sorry that a guy is into you. It’s no wonder you don’t have a boyfriend.” “I don’t have a boyfriend because I don’t want one.” “Keep telling yourself that darling.” The bitter argument between the two went on for what felt like an eternity. I had never seen a catfight this bad before. “Should we stop them?” I asked Marc. “I don’t think so. This is something they need to solve on their own. Never get involved in catfights,” Marc replied. Marc and I decided to leave them there. We went to the hotel that the Liberation Front reserved, and we found a nice room to stay in. “Hey Drake, I never got the chance to ask you. How was your night out with Xena? Did you two have a nice time?” Marc asked. I smiled. “We had a great time, Marc. A great time.” ⌬ Unknown I sat patiently, waiting for the messenger to deliver the news. So far, everything was going according to plan, but that could change in a heartbeat if we became sloppy. My colleague noticed my anxiety. “Sir, if it’s not too much for me to say, I think you should relax. We’re about to make a major move here. Nothing can go wrong,” he said to me. I turned to look at him. “I won’t relax until our victory is assured.” Soon after, the messenger arrived. “Sir, we have received confirmation. The Liberation Front have arrived. And the Avatar is with them.” I clenched my fists. “The Avatar must know that our headquarters are located here. We cannot allow her to interfere with our plans.” “What do you suggest we do sir?” the messenger asked. “Annihilate her, at all costs,” I said. Next time on 13th Redux... Category:Chapters